Screw driver



' June 1949- A. F. ALEXANDER 2,472,392

SCREW DRIVER Filed April 12, 1946 v INVENTOR. flrfJu f4/wMAm Pw Patented June 7, 1949 SCREW DRIVER Arthur F. Alexander cleveland ()hio This'invention relates to a hand tool with removable screw driver or other bits, as described in the present specification and illustrated in the-accompanying; drawing that forms a part ofrsame;

The invention consists in the novel features comprising thecombination of the ball lock mechanism--. incorporated in the tool holding portion of the handle, and its design is to give positive locking, positive drive, and quick release of the tool bit removably mounted therein. The ball lock'prevents the tool bit from being pulled out of the holding portion of the handle, as well as preventing-- its rotation therein when locked.

Other objects of this invention will be clearly understood from the following description of the gamer. 7 v. I

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation. through the tool constructed in accordance with the invention, showing ascrew driver bit locked therein, and a secondscrew driver bit mounted in the handle for .futureuse.

; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the tool, with portions shown' in sectional elevation, showing a screw driver bit released from the ball lock.

' Figure 3 is a plan view of the tool retaining member incorporated in the upper end of the handl e,-and illustrating the position of the U- shaped member associated therewith.

"'"Figure 4 is a cross section of the tool but showthe position of the ball seats therein.

Figure 5 is a cross section on line A--A in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail elevational view showing the ball lock and spring retainer ring, the locking shell being removed to better illustrate the invention.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The tool comprises a handle I having a through bore 2 therein, in the upper end 3 of which there is fixedly mounted a tool bit retaining member 4. In the retaining member there is provided a U shaped spring 5 adapted to hold the bit 6 in place therein by engaging in the annular groove 1 provided in th bit adjacent its upper end to receive the same, as shown in Figure 1.

The handle is mounted in the socket 8 of the tool bit holding means 9. The holding means is provided with a through bore l0, an annular integral flange ll, an external annular groove 12 and therebelow an integral portion l3 having an annular groove l4 therein adjacent its lower end.

Communicating the annular groove l2 there is provided in the wall of the tool holder a ball seat Application April 12,1946, sena1 I 3 Claims. (or z'vegvs I l l5 fojr the reception of the ball it that is mounted thereinpa portion of the surface of which extends intathehthrough bore ii] in the holding means suflicient to engage in the seat ll provided tOzI'ECGi-VG the same in the tool bit as shown at ,l8 inFigure 1 in its locked position. In the annular groove l2 there is removably mounted a retainer spring N9 of flat Wire of interrupted ring configuration having a hole as at 2c therein, adapted tohold the ball in operative position in the ball seat. Thespring ring it is adapted to return the ball to locking position after the tool bit has been properly positioned in the holding means. The resiliency of the-spring ring allows the ball to be forced outwardly in its seat to permitthe withdrawal of the tool bit provided the locking shell 2| is first retracted to the position shown in Figure 2.

; 0n the bit holdingmeans there is mounted a helical compression spring 22 bearing at its upper end on the under surface 23 of the annular integral flange I l and at its lower end on the upper surface of the washer--25, thereby tending to hold shell 2 IY-Jin the Fig. 1 position.

The locking shell 2| is provided with a shoulder 26,,and a seat 2! on which the washer 25 is supported. An annular internal flange 28 on the inner'surface of the locking shell is adapted to hold the' ball in docking position as shown in Figure 1. -;Below the internal flange there is provided-an annular recess 29 as clearly seen in Figures 1 and 2, into which the spring ring l2 with its cooperating ball enters when the locking shell is placed in releasing position as shown in Figure 2. It will be noted that the shoulder 26 in the locking shell engages the annular flange as at 30 in Figure 2 and. limits its upward movement thus positioning the annular recess 29 to receive and permit the proper functioning therein of the ball with its cooperating spring ring.

Below the annular recess 29 there is provided an internal annular flange 3|, and therebelow a recess 32 adapted to accommodate the wire spring ring 33 which is removably mounted in the annular groove I t adapted to receive the same. The wire spring ring 33 is provided to prevent the locking shell from becoming detached from the holding means when assembled.

The operation of the device is as follows:

To remove the bit B, the locking shell is forced up until the shoulder 26 therein engages the flange II. It is then held in that position, thus releasing the ball lock, thereby permitting bit B to be withdrawn from the holder. If it is desired to use the bit 6 in the handle, it is pushed down in the bore, using the removed bit in the operation. With the locking shell retracted, the removed bit is forced down in the bore until the U-shaped spring 5 in the retaining member engages in the annular groove 1 adjacent to the upper end of the bit. When the bit is so located, the seats in the bit 6 will be in line with th ball lock, and by turning the bit in the holding member, the ball will snap into the seat when it is encountered thereby. It will be noted that the end of the bit in place in the handle engages the top surface of the bit locked in the device. This construction places the seats in line with the ball, so that on turning the bit the ball finds the seat with ease and dispatch. The operator now releases the locking shell 2|, whereupon the spring 22 returns the shell to its Fig. 1 position, thereby bringing the internal flange 28 into position oppo-- site the ball l6 and thus holding the ball in the seat ll of the bit and preventing the latter from being accidentally withdrawn as well as locking it to the handle so that there will be no relative rotation between the handle and the bit.

While I have illustrated a particular embodiment of the device effective to operate as hereinbefore described, I do not Wish to be limited thereto, as many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hand tool comprising a handle with an axial bore extending entirely therethrough and a lateral opening through the handle constricted at its inner end, a ball seated in said opening a portion of which normally projects into said bore, said handle having an exterior annular shallow groove intercepting said opening, a spring retainer ring seated in said groove engaging said ball for preventing movement of the ball outwardly beyond its seat, said retainer rin leaving the outermost portion of the ball exposed, a tool bit having a cylindrical shank adapted to enter said bore from either end of the handle, said shank having a cavity of spherical contour to receive the inwardly projecting portion of the ball, and a sleeve slidable on the handle lengthwise thereof adapted to engage the exposed outer portion of said ball for locking the bit against movement in the handle angularly as well as longitudinally.

2. A hand tool as defined in the preceding claim, wherein said spring retainer ring has a hole therethrough of less diameter than the diameter 01 said ball, leaving the outermost portion of the ball exposed for engagement by said sleeve.

3. A hand tool comprising a handle with an axial bore extending entirely therethrough and a lateral opening through the handle constricted at its inner end, a ball seated in said opening a portion of which normally projects into said bore. said handle having an exterior annular shallow groove intercepting said opening, a spring retainer ring seated in said groove engaging said ball for preventing movement of the ball outwardly beyond its seat, said retainer ring leaving the outermost portion of the ball exposed, a tool bit with a cylindrical shank adapted to enter said bore through the butt end of the handle and having a cavity to receive the inwardly projectin portion of the ball, said bore being adapted to receive at least one additional tool bit, said handle carrying an abutment at its rear end to prevent movement rearwardly of the rearmost bit, said cavity being spaced from the butt end of said first named bit a distance equal to the spacing of said ball from the bit next inward of said first named bit, whereby when the butt end of said first named bit bears against the forward end of the next bit the cavity in said first named bit may be engaged with the ball by rotation of the bit relative to the handle.

ARTHUR F. ALEXANDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,331,566 Hillman Feb. 24, 1920 1,602,708 Russell Oct. 12, 1926 1,858,276 Miller May 17, 1932 2,320,360 Grey June 1, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 168,270 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1921 

